AP Government Semester Exam Review 2015
Federalism
1. Be able to define and give examples of Federalism.
2. Define and give examples of “separation of powers” and “checks and balances” as constitutional
principles within the national government. What was the purpose of these mechanisms?
3. Is voting registration a state or federal responsibility? Explain. Also explain the exceptions
created by the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
4. Explain “cooperative federalism” as a term and as an era. Also explain the following movement
of “new federalism” and “devolution” of federal power.
5. What are categorical grants in aid? What are block grants?
6. What is a federal mandate?
7. Why was federalism picked as the system of government to replace the Articles of
Confederation?
History and the Constitution
8. What is the social contract theory of John Locke and how did influence the formation of the
U.S.?
9. In our first government, how did the Articles of Confederation arrange power in relation to the
states and the national government?
10. Explain the “necessary and proper clause” in relation to implied powers and McCulloch v.
Maryland, 1819.
11. Explain the “free exercise clause” and the “establishment clause” of the 1st amendment.
12. Explain the “due process clause” of the 5th amendment and the right of “habeas corpus”.
13. Explain the “incorporation doctrine”.
14. Explain the supremacy clause.
15. Describe the amendment process to the constitution. What role does the president play?
16. What is the interstate commerce clause and why is so important to the federal governments
power expansion in the Progressive Era and the Great Depression Era New Deal?
17. Explain the Electoral College and the process of electing a president.
18. What type of democracy did the Constitution of the U.S. create?
Supreme Court Precedent Cases (explain the ruling of each case)
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Marbury v Madison, 1803
McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819
Engle v. Vitale
Brown v Board of Education, 1954. What was the constitutional basis of the ruling?
Baker v. Carr, Reynolds v. Simms, Wesberry v. Sanders (1960s)
Texas v. Johnson, 1985
Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, 2010
AP Government Semester Exam Review 2015
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Griswold v. Connecticut, 1965
Roe v. Wade, 1973
University of California, Berkeley v. Bakke , 1978
Gideon v. Wainwright, 1963
Congress
30. What are the basic differences between the House and the Senate in terms of members, terms
in office, representation, and rules? What special roles/powers does the Senate have?
31. Explain the congressional role of “oversight”, the importance of committees to the process, and
the power of the “purse” vested in Congress.
32. Explain the process of redistricting and the impact of gerrymandering.
33. What is pork barrel spending?
34. What is a discharge petition and why are they so rare?
35. What is the House Rules Committee?
36. What special role does the Senate Judiciary Committee play in the Checks and Balances system?
37. What is divided government? What is the impact of that situation?
38. Explain the Senate rules the filibuster & cloture, and committee holds.
39. Revenue bills (tax bills) must originate in which committee of which house of Congress?
40. What is the leadership structure of the House and Senate? What role do these leaders play,
especially the Speaker of the House?
41. What is the basic order by which a bill becomes a law?
President and the Bureaucracy
42. Describe the role of the White House Staff and list some examples of titles and what they do.
43. What are some examples of presidential checks and balances toward Congress and the Supreme
Court (federal courts).
44. What is the role of the Executive Cabinet? Which department leader is not called a Secretary?
45. What is an entitlement program (give examples)? What does discretionary spending refer to
when discussing the budget?
46. What are independent regulatory agencies? Why are they independent? NASA and the
Environmental Protection Agency are examples of what type of federal agency?
47. What are executive agreements, executive orders, emergency military powers? How are they
common in respect to the president’s relationship with Congress?
48. What is the War Powers Act/Resolution of 1973?
49. What is statutory law and what role do bureaucratic agencies play in their creation?
50. What is the role of the Federal Reserve Board?
AP Government Semester Exam Review 2015
Federal Courts (Supreme Court)
51. What is the role if the federal courts in terms of the constitutional checks and balances? How
did Alexander Hamilton explain it in Federalist #78?
52. Explain stare decisis and writs of certiorari.
53. Under what circumstances would the Supreme Court be likely to accept a case? What is the rule
of 4? Related: Why are the Courts of Appeals so important in the interpretation of the
constitution?
54. Who appoints Federal judges and justices, for what term in office, and what is the Senate’s role?
55. Explain the jurisdiction of the 3 levels of federal courts.
56. Describe and explain judicial restraint and judicial activism.
57. What is judicial review and what is supposed to happen when federal courts declare a law
unconstitutional?
Interest Groups, Elections, the Media, and Political Parties
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What is coalition building in terms of elections or passing legislation?
Political Socialization and party identification are most influenced by what factor?
What laws have restricted campaign financing? How did Citizens United v. FEC affect these laws?
What is an “iron triangle” or an “issue network”?
What are interest groups, public interest groups, and special interest groups? What
characteristics do they have? What tactics are they likely to use? What are lobbyists?
What role do Political Action Committees play for interest groups?
What is a single-member district and how does it hurt the chances of 3rd party growth in the
United States?
In Federalist #10, what did James Madison say about the role of factions and what did he say
would work to check their influence?
What is political efficacy and how does it affect voter turn-out?
List the top 5 reasons for low voter turn-out in the United States?
What characteristics are common among “likely voters”?
What role do political parties play in American government?
What role does the news media play in the political process? How does the media affect
“agenda setting”
What is “horse-race journalism?
What are linkage institutions? What is the most common form of political participation?
What are the basics of how the Electoral College elects a President?